


Lasting Impressions

by galacticsugar



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, Swearing, ashton faints at the craft store and luke comes to the rescue, kinda sorta coffee shop au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:35:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27963143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galacticsugar/pseuds/galacticsugar
Summary: Finally he makes it to the front of the line and steps up to greet the cashier. He places his basket on the counter in front of him and starts fishing around in his pocket for his wallet as the cashier begins to scan his items.Then, suddenly, he’s...underwater? Everything happening around him is muffled and there’s a bright light blinding him and his fingers and toes are buzzing strangely. The sensation seems to only last for a moment, and then his head clears. He slowly starts to take in his surroundings, first noticing the bright lights above his head, then the cold, hard feeling of the floor underneath him. Okay. He’s lying on the floor somewhere. That’s odd.There’s a soft, fuzzy object supporting his head, and in his disoriented state Ashton thinks the warm fluff on his neck might be the nicest thing he’s ever felt. Then he hears a voice, deep and steady, behind his head. “Can you hear me?” There’s a hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright? Can you hear me?”
Relationships: Luke Hemmings/Ashton Irwin
Comments: 8
Kudos: 39





	Lasting Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> A bit of tangentially holiday-related Lashton fluff. Apparently I really like sending Luke to coffee shops with random strangers he meets in stores.
> 
> I'm on tumblr @[staticsounds](http://staticsounds.tumblr.com); come say hi!
> 
> Title from **Lasting Impressions** by The Starting Line.

If there’s one thing Ashton prides himself on, it’s coming up with the perfect gifts for the people he loves. It’s sort of become his  _ thing _ \- all of his friends and family know he will somehow manage to find or create just the right thing for them for every occasion; something they never would have come up with on their own but once they have it they can’t imagine living without it.

Which is why Ashton finds himself at Michael’s on a busy Saturday morning in December, bundled in a giant parka to try to fight back against the frigid, bone-chilling weather outside. It’s one of those days where it’s perfectly sunny and bright, no ice or snow in sight, but despite appearances the cold is relentless, seeping under Ashton’s skin and staying there.

He’s out wrapping up his holiday shopping, and he needs some craft supplies for a scrapbook he’s working on for his mum. He only has a little over a week to finish the scrapbook, and he plans to spend every night this week in front of the fireplace with Christmas music playing and a nice sugar cookie candle lit while he finishes his project.

The store is packed, and the crowd is making Ashton feel a little overwhelmed. He’s not claustrophobic, exactly, but being in the middle of a big crowd and feeling like he can’t escape gives him anxiety. Okay, maybe he’s a little claustrophobic. He quickly slides between the groups of people milling around the store and makes his way to the scrapbook aisle, exerting himself enough that a cold sweat breaks out on his skin. He shivers, still feeling the cold from outside deep in his bones.

He finally makes it to the correct aisle and spends a few minutes poring over washi tape, stickers, and fancy scissors, carefully selecting what he wants and placing it in his basket. His body never stops trembling, and the loud Christmas music on the store speakers is giving him a headache. He can’t wait to escape the store and get back home where he can finally warm up and relax.

After fighting his way back to the front of the store, Ashton takes his place in the long, winding line at the registers. He flicks through his phone absentmindedly and shuffles forward slowly whenever space opens up in front of him. God, this line is neverending. He’s so over it and he considers dropping his basket and bolting out the front door, but he needs these supplies and he’s not going to want to come back and go through this hell again, so he may as well fight through now that he’s made it this far. He leans heavily on the railing that corals the line, feeling very worn out. 

Finally he makes it to the front of the line and steps up to greet the cashier. He places his basket on the counter in front of him and starts fishing around in his pocket for his wallet as the cashier begins to scan his items.

Then, suddenly, he’s...underwater? Everything happening around him is muffled and there’s a bright light blinding him and his fingers and toes are buzzing strangely. The sensation seems to only last for a moment, and then his head clears. He slowly starts to take in his surroundings, first noticing the bright lights above his head, then the cold, hard feeling of the floor underneath him. Okay. He’s lying on the floor somewhere. That’s odd.

There’s a soft, fuzzy object supporting his head, and in his disoriented state Ashton thinks the warm fluff on his neck might be the nicest thing he’s ever felt. Then he hears a voice, deep and steady, behind his head. “Can you hear me?” There’s a hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright? Can you hear me?”

The bustling sounds of the store start to fill in around the deep voice, bringing Ashton fully back to the present moment. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he says, starting to sit up.

The hand on his shoulder presses down firmly but gently, keeping him laying on his back. “Whoa, hang on a second. You fainted. You might want to take it slow getting up.”

Ashton tilts his head as far back as he can, trying to see the person speaking to him. A man comes into his frame of vision, an upside-down face with bright, bright blue eyes, a mess of curly hair, and a concerned, dimpled smile on his face. “I think I’m good to sit up at least,” Ashton says, and the man nods, releasing his grip on Ashton’s shoulder.

Ashton sits up slowly and looks around. He’s literally sitting in the middle of the checkout line, just a couple of feet behind the counter. People are stepping around him to reach the checkout counter; a couple are shooting him concerned glances as they unload their baskets. There’s an unfamiliar jacket on the ground next to him, apparently the source of the lovely warm fluffy feeling on his neck moments earlier. Finally he spins around on his bum a little, enough to see the person behind him. He’s just as beautiful right-side-up, and Ashton’s cheeks turn pink when he realizes the state this lovely, apparently kind stranger has seen him in.

“Okay?” 

Ashton smiles at him. He does feel pretty okay, actually. A lot better than before, at least. “Yeah, I think so.”

The man smiles back, visible relief on his face. “What’s your name?”

“Ashton.”   
  
“Hi, Ashton. I’m Luke, the guy who caught you when you fainted at the checkout a few minutes ago.” He giggles a little, and it’s a sweet contrast to his deep voice. Ashton can hardly enjoy it, though, because now he’s officially mortified.

“You  _ caught _ me?” he asks, distraught. 

Luke shrugs. “I was behind you in line and noticed you starting to go down. You fainted very gracefully. All I really did was ease you gently to the floor.” He laughs again, and Ashton tries to shake off his embarrassment. That’s not so bad, he supposes. It could have been much worse.

“I’m lucky there was such an upstanding and strapping young gentleman behind me. I could’ve been concussed!” he jokes, attempting to keep the mood light while still showing his appreciation for Luke.

“Lucky indeed,” Luke says, grinning at him. “Do you want some water or something? Are you dehydrated?”

It’s nice of him to offer, but Ashton’s tough. He can take care of himself, and he doesn’t want to burden Luke any more than he already has. “No thanks. I really do think I’m okay now.”

“Okay…” Luke says, but he continues staring at Ashton with concern in his eyes. “Are you sure? Maybe you need something to eat? I just want to make sure you’re okay before I leave you alone.”

Ashton’s heart flutters a little; he can’t help it. Luke is just being  _ so kind _ to him. Ashton’s afraid if he had been in Luke’s shoes he would’ve just stepped aside and let someone else deal with the situation while he fled. It pains him a little that he was lucky enough to have Luke there to help him when he’s so undeserving of that amount of kindness.

“Honestly the only thing that even sounds good to me right now is frozen hot chocolate,” Ashton says. Bodies are strange. Ashton can’t remember the last time he had a frozen hot chocolate, but his lizard brain suddenly  _ needs _ one. He briefly wonders if it’s a physical need or an emotional one, but decides that sitting on the floor of Michael’s with Luke’s bright blue eyes staring earnestly into his is probably not the best time to ponder such things.

“A frozen hot chocolate?” Luke asks, a mix of confusion and delight on his face.

“Frozen hot chocolate,” Ashton confirms, nodding enthusiastically. “I’ll probably stop at the coffee shop around the corner and get one before I go home, if that makes you feel better.”

“What would make me feel better,” Luke says, dusting off his hands and moving off the floor into a crouch, still eye level with Ashton, “is if you let me take you to get a frozen hot chocolate  _ before _ you drive home.” He sees Ashton start to open his mouth and anticipates the protest, cutting him off before he can say anything. “I’ll help you walk over. Please let me. I promise I won’t murder you.”

Ashton chuckles and nods in reluctant agreement. “Okay. I’m going to hold you to that.” Ashton may not deserve Luke’s kindness, but damned if he’s not going to take full advantage of the opportunity to spend more time with him.

“Great!” Luke grins and stands up to his full height, holding a hand out to Ashton. Ashton looks up at him, squinting a little under the glare of the store lights, and places his hand in Luke’s, letting Luke haul him to his feet. 

He sags a little under his own weight, legs still a little weak. Luke steadies him with one hand on his shoulder and the other at his waist, holding him gently in place until he finds his feet. “Thanks,” he says quietly,” another wave of embarrassment washing over him.

“No problem,” Luke says. “Do you think you’re okay on your own for a sec while I put my coat on?”

“Yeah, go for it.” Ashton nods, gripping on to the nearest railing for support. He watches quietly as Luke collects his coat from the floor, shakes it out, and struggles to get both his arms in the correct sleeves. The left sleeve just isn’t cooperating, whipping around uselessly behind Luke as he flaps his arm repeatedly, looking for the arm hole. Ashton stifles a giggle and Luke looks at him with a smirk and one eyebrow raised. 

Silently, Ashton reaches out with his free hand to hold up the problematic coat sleeve so Luke can finally slide his arm into it. “Now we’re even,” Luke says, and Ashton laughs full out at the notion that his small gesture is in any way equivalent to what Luke has done for him. Luke looks pleased, giggling along with Ashton as he zips up his coat and grabs his shopping bag off the floor by his feet. He offers Ashton his elbow with an exaggerated bow. “Your frozen hot chocolate awaits.”

Ashton cannot  _ wait _ to get home and tell Calum about this. Calum, who gave him such a hard time about going shopping on a Saturday during the holiday rush. Calum, who said, “I’d rather eat glass than go shopping with you this morning.” Calum, who is now going to have to listen to Ashton breathlessly recount his tale of dramatically fainting at the craft store and being rescued and fed frozen hot chocolate by his very own knight in shining armor. He hopes Calum at least feels a little bad about it. Although if Calum had come along with him, Ashton probably wouldn’t have met Luke, so maybe he is actually a little grateful that Calum is a whiny bitch when it comes to holiday shopping.

Ashton takes Luke’s elbow and they walk slowly toward the exit, Luke bending his head to check on Ashton every few seconds, eyes scanning Ashton’s face for any sign of distress. Ashton keeps his eyes on the ground in front of him, stepping carefully, blushing under Luke’s gaze. He feels mostly fine - a little weak, but his head isn’t pounding anymore and his body temperature has regulated. 

They step through the automatic doors and Luke leads them in the direction of the coffee shop. The cold air actually feels refreshing on Ashton’s face; he wants to close his eyes and tilt his head up into the breeze, but he doesn’t trust himself to stay on his feet if he does, even with Luke supporting him. He’d almost definitely trip and bring them both tumbling to the ground, probably breaking Luke’s lovely face in the process. He can’t risk it, so he settles for taking an extra deep breath and exhaling dramatically.

“You okay?” Luke asks.

Ashton smiles contentedly. “Yeah. The fresh air feels nice.”

“You still want a frozen hot chocolate now that we’re out in the arctic tundra?”

“Absolutely,” Ashton says. “What about you?”

“I’m freezing,” Luke says with a snort. “I’m not sure what I’m going to get, but whatever it is will be extra hot.”

Ashton shuffles a little closer to Luke, pressing ever-so-slightly into his side, trying to subtly share some of his own body heat with Luke. It’s the least he can do. And if he happens to catch a pleasant whiff of Luke’s spicy cologne and it makes his stomach flip, no one needs to know.

“Oh shit!” Ashton exclaims suddenly, stopping abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.

“What?” Luke asks, sounding a little panicked. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” Ashton pats the top of Luke’s arm and Luke exhales in relief. “Sorry to scare you. I just remembered I didn’t actually buy any of the stuff I went into Michael’s to get, and now I’m going to have to go back sometime, which I am really not looking forward to.”

“Oh, uh,” Luke mumbles and holds up the shopping bag in his free hand. “It’s all in here.” 

Ashton’s mouth drops open dumbly for a moment, then he snaps it closed, recovering. “Did you...did you get my stuff for me?” he asks, forehead wrinkling. 

“Yeah,” he shrugs. “You were out for a while. I didn’t want you to have to worry about it after you came to.”

“That’s...too nice.” Ashton doesn’t even know how to articulate the gratefulness that he feels, which is a first for him. He almost always has something to say, but he just doesn’t really understand how a person like Luke actually exists. He doesn’t know how to  _ say _ that to Luke, who is basically a stranger, so he just says “Thank you,” and resumes walking in the direction of the coffee shop, tugging Luke along with him.

“No problem,” Luke says, a little bit of self-consciousness around the edge of his voice.

They reach the coffee shop and Luke basically dives in when Ashton pulls the door open, then makes a show of “defrosting” once he’s inside. “Your extra hot whatever is on me,” Ashton says as they approach the counter. “You’ve more than earned it.”

Luke nods. “Thanks man. It was really no problem, but I won’t turn down a free extra hot...flat white?”

“The biggest flat white you have, extra hot; and a frozen hot chocolate, please,” Ashton says to the cashier, who punches in the order and scribbles on the appropriate cups. Ashton pays and Luke leads them over to a battered loveseat in the corner of the shop, right in front of the fireplace.

“Okay if we sit here and warm up, or will this melt your frozen hot chocolate?” Luke asks with a smirk.

“This is perfect.” Ashton grins and drops himself slowly into the corner of the loveseat, shrugging out of his coat. He’s still feeling a bit weak, and the chance to sit down and relax is a welcome relief.

Luke returns to the bar to wait for their drinks and Ashton closes his eyes for a moment, savoring the feeling of the heat from the fireplace on his face. He opens them to see Luke approaching, holding his drink out to him. Ashton smiles when he notices the festive red and green sprinkles sitting on top of the whipped cream. “I guess the barista is in the holiday spirit,” he observes as he takes the cup from Luke.

“I may have put in a special request,” Luke says, mouth quirked in a crooked smile. “I figured you could use a little something to brighten your day after the whole fainting thing.”

“But I already got you,” Ashton blurts. 

Luke’s eyebrows shoot up and Ashton quickly jams his straw in his mouth in an effort to shut himself up. Luke settles into the opposite corner of the loveseat, one knee up on the cushion so he can angle towards Ashton. He watches with interest as Ashton takes the first sip of his drink. “So?” he asks, a smile lighting up his face when he sees the sheer delight in Ashton’s expression as soon as the frozen hot chocolate hits his tongue.

“Just what I wanted,” Ashton replies contentedly.

“Happy to hear it.” Luke takes a tentative sip from his own drink, testing the temperature.

“What happens next?” Ashton asks, licking whip cream residue from the corner of his lips.

“What do you mean?” Luke asks.

“After we have our drinks. I’m feeling fine now and can get myself home. You’ve completed your good samaritan checklist for the day. What excuse can we use to stay in touch?”

Luke laughs, and Ashton tries to take a mental photo of him - huge grin, nose crinkling, curls bouncing, both hands wrapped tightly around his cup in an attempt to warm them. If he never sees Luke again in his life, he wants to at least remember this specific moment. 

“Do we need an excuse?” Luke asks, once his laughter dies down. “I can just give you my number.”

“You would do that?”

“Of course,” Luke huffs. “We’re having a good time, right? We could just hang out again sometime. Maybe under less dire circumstances.”

Ashton bites his lip and smiles wide. “Yeah, we’re having a good time.” He takes a slow sip of his drink and looks at Luke carefully. “What if the circumstance was a date?”

Luke smiles, tongue poking between his teeth. “That’s the best  _ possible _ circumstance,” he says brightly.

God, Calum is going to be  _ so jealous _ when he hears about this.

  
  
  



End file.
